John Ryder The Hitcher
by oOMystiqueOo
Summary: My version of The Hitcher Remake. 3 girls are driving to the lake when they give a ride to a stranger whose car has broken down. A ride they never should have offered.


**Chapter One: The Beginning**

"I think I've forgotten something in my room," Carly said as her friends placed her luggage in Melinda's trunk.

"You've got to be kidding Carly" Alex exclaimed. "You've said that for like half an hour, and you have gotten everything you need. It's only a two week vacation you know?"

The three girl laughed and Carly nodded. Perhaps she was just being silly, but something had felt wrong ever since she woke up. However, school was over and they certainly deserved the vacation they had planned. Melinda would drive, since it was her car and she would let no other person drive it, and they would head up to the lake. It was quite a long drive, but it would all be worth it. No noise, no guys and no parents.

"Alright girls, let's get going then" she smiled and got into the passengers seat. She opened the glove department and was chocked at what she discovered inside.

"God, Melinda, You are a pig" she laughed. Alex leaned in from the backseat and placed her hand on Carly's shoulder.

"Yep, our friend obviously doesn't know that you can find trashcans almost everywhere", she said while Carly pulled out an old papirbag which once contained McDonalds food.

Melinda shook her head. "very funny, of course I was going to throw that out, I've just been busy. Put it back Carly, will you?"

Carly stuffed the bag into the glove department again, still laughing. "I was just looking for gum."

"I have some," Alex said and gave a Carly a piece. "Can we get going now?"

The other two girl nodded and Melinda started her car. "Ready to begin the most interesting and thrilling vacation you've ever had?" she asked them.

Alex and Carly clapped their hands as Melinda drove away from Carly's appartment.

--

"Jesus Christ, I'm thirsty" Melinda began complaining. From the backseat you could hear the silent sound of Alex snorring. Carly went through the radio channels, nothing but scrathy noises appearing. "We drove past a gas station like 6 miles ago. You should have thought of it then" she told her friend quietly.

It was beginning to get dark and when the girl couldn't think of anything to do, Alex went to sleep and the two other girls had begun to argue about Melinda's x-boyfriend Chad.

"I can't believe you wanna get back together with him," Carly had stated when Melinda mentioned him once again. "Why do you have to bring that creep up in the middle of my vacation?"

Melinda hadn't said a word to her since then, until she mentioned the fact that she was thirsty.

Carly looked over at her friend. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said."

"That's okay", Melinda said, continueing to look at the road on front of her. "But you know that Chad is the only guy I've ever been with. I can't just forget that Carly."

"I know." Carly folded her hands, placed them behind her neck and closed her eyes. "Let us forget all about that and concentrate on our vacation."

Carly just managed to hear Melinda say, "Good idea", before she fell asleep herself.

--

"Carly, wake up." Melinda shook her friend.

"What? Why aren't we driving?" Carly asked, her eyes still closed.

"Look."

Carly slowly opened her eyes. She could see a non-moving car in front of them.

"So? Someone's pulled over. He or she is probably taking a nap or something."

"Then why is he standing in the middle of the street?"

Carly leaned towards the windshield to get a better look. Melinda wasn't kidding. A man was standing in the middle of the street with the rain pouring down on him. He looked tall, even from a distance. He was slender, looked like he had short hair and he was wearing what appeared to be a long coat.

"What is he doing?" Carly asked looking at Melinda. "You think he's alright?"

"I dunno."

"What's going on? Did we stop?" It came from the backseat. Alex had woken up.

"There's this weird dude standing where we should be driving."

"What?"

Alex leaned towards her friends to look at the stranger. "Can't we just continue to drive? Please."

"Nonsense!" Carly exclaimed, glancing at Alex with a stern look. "He could be hurt."

Carly opened her side window and stuck her head out. The rain hit her face and she roughly wiped it away.

"Sir? Sir! Are you alright?"

The man, whoever he was, turned around to look at her. He began walking. Slow but long steps.

"Girls, I don't like this," Alex whispered. "I don't like this one bit.

Suddenly, the man held up his hands. "My car broke down," he said loudly. "Do you have a cellphone I can borrow?"

He continued to come closer.

"Yeah, sure" Carly said. She got her head back into the car and started to search for her phone. The moment she found it, was the moment the man had reached the car.

He bent down so he could look inside the car.

"Hello. My name is John Ryder." He gave a tiny nod to all the girls.

"I'm Carly, this is Melinda and Alexandra," Carly said pointing at her two best friends.

She gave the man her phone. "Here you go."

The man took the cellphone from her hand. As she felt his cold and wet fingers, she shuddered.

"Thank you." He dialed a number she couldn't see. Could be anyone. The autoshop, his family, a friend...

A minute passed. No one said anything.

"Sounds like they're closed," the man suddenly said. He hung up and handed Carly her phone back.

"Where are you girls heading?" he asked her.

"Where the road leads us. You know.."

The man nodded. "Could I get a ride? I need to find a motel where I can stay till tomorrow."

The girls looked at eachother.

"Well," Melinda whispered. "I guess so."

Carly looked at the man once again. He was smiling.

"Alright. Jump in."

The man opened the door and slid in next to Alex.

--

"I don't really know where the nearest motel is," Melinda said. She was the first to talk for half an hour.

"I'm sure we'll see one soon," the man told her. He had been staring out the window ever since he got into the car.

They continued to drive.

Alex looked over at the strange person beside her. He was still looking out the window. For a moment she wondered if he had fallen asleep, but before she could even think the thought through, he turned his head and looked her directly into her eyes. It only lasted a second, then he contituned to look out the window.

She looked down, and that's when she noticed the golden ring on his finger.

"Don't you wanna call your wife?" she asked him.

Carly turned around to look at them.

The man looked at ring on his own finger, holding it up.

"I'm not married."

"Then why wear a weddingring?" Carly asked.

"Makes people think I'm trustworthy."

Carly laughed. "You're not?"

The man looked at Carly and smiled. "No."

In one sudden movement he reached inside his coat, pulling out a knife. He slung his arm around Carly's neck so the knife lay against her cheek.

"Pull over!" he hissed at Melinda.


End file.
